Three years since their debut release, APE VERMIN return with the mighty Doom / Sludge EP "Arctic Noise". Full of grooving, fuzzy riffs, growling vocals and droning drums, the sluggish melodies combined with the dragging drums gives it the true feel of a doom record. lulling you into a pleasant dream-like state one second before whipping you into a frenzied moshpit the next. The guitars and drums work coherently together to create an epic wall of noise as big as the mammoths on the album cover. The production has a very natural, live feel to it, you can imagine being in the recording studio when you listen to it.

"Megaliths Of Echo" kicks off the EP with a wall of feedback, penetrated by pounding floor toms and a fuzzy guitar riff. When the double bass pedals hit and the tempo of the song picks up it's a great moment. The composition of the drums and guitar make a perfect Heavy / Doom section. The vocals come in harsh and raw, mixed great with the rest of the music. This song demonstrates something that APE VERMIN are very good at, knowing when to push the music, and when to pull it back. The route of the song takes many turns, slow crushing emotional passages, with beefy grooving guitar solos and hard-hitting drum patterns, and faster, delicate sections of headbanging joy.

"Arctic Noise" opens with a hypnotic riff, graceful twinkling cymbals lull the listener into a meditative state, only to have a piercing cowbell crack through like lightning. This song is the Stoner Rock anthem of the EP, dragging drums and a leisurely guitar solo. With progressive sections spliced in, giving it a varied and exciting feel, both lethargic and energetic.

One thought I kept coming back to when I was listening was the scale of the sound, everything APE VERMIN does sounds big. This is especially true for "Ancient Ruin", the repeated hymnal chanting over a running guitar riff and that ride bell that cuts through the music, all creates a huge sounding intro to a great song. Brett Lee produces another great vocal performance with his deep guttural voice.

I am hopeful that we won't have to be waiting another three years for another release because "Arctic Noise" is a fantastic Doom / Sludge record with a huge sound and it is only a taste of the talent of APE VERMIN. The production is stand out and should be regarded as an essential of the genre.